Amusement device.



Q/vilmmmo L. G. MARBLE. AMUSEMENT Dnvmn; APPLICATION FILED 13110.30, 1908.

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Patented May 11, 1909.

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awoankoz L. c. MARBLE. I

' AMUSEMENT DEVICE.

APPLICATION I 'ILED DEG. 3Q, 1908 Patented May 11, 1909;

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L. c. MARBLE. AMUSEMENT 1mm. 7 APPLIGATION FILED DEC. 30, 1908.

Patentd May 11 1909. a sums-sum s.

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LOUIS o- MARBLE, or ooLU Bus, oi-ndns Sammy MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TQ THE inn PLEASURE-PARK SPECIALTY COMPANY, OF DELAWARE, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

AMUSEMENT DEVICE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 11, 1909.

Application filed. December 30, 1908. Serial No. 470,062.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Louis 0. MARBLE, a

citizen of the United States, residing at C0- lumbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Amusement Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to amusement de vices of the class ordinarily employed in public parks and similar resorts.

The objects of my invention are to provide an improved construction of amusement device whereby passenger containing cars may be carried at desirable rates of speed over an unique route so arranged as to produce a constant changein direction of the cars without following the continuous circular path; to provide an improved gear construction for imparting the desiredmovements to thecars and at the same time providing for the use of a number of cars traveling over the same route without conflict one with the other and to produce certain improvements in details of construction and arrangement of parts which will be more fully pointed out hereinafter. These objects I accomplish in the manner illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which: 7 i

Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved device, Fig. 2 is a plan view of the greater portion of the device with the platform or flooring removed, illustrating the gearing which I employ in thev construction and operation of the device, Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line rx of Fig. 2, showing the central gear wheel and the smaller gear wheel to the left, in elevation, Fig. '4 is an enlarged vertical section on line g' of Fig. 3, Fig. 5 is a plan view in detail of the connecting ends of two of the gear segments which I employ in the manner hereinafter described, and, Fig. 6 is a detail view in perspective illustrating the construction and arrangement of the car propelling projections of the gear wheels.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

In carrying out my invention, I provide a central vertical pivotally mounted shaft 1, the upper end of which is rotatably mounted in sultable bearings which depend from the underside of the central portion of a horizontally disposed platform or floor 2. Upon the shaft 1 1s carried a gear wheel 3 of suit able size and in order to more effectively support said gear wheel, I may at suitable points beneath the rim of said wheel, provide journaled rollers 4 upon which said wheel rim may bear, these rollers being mounted in opposing fixed brackets 5 of desirable construction which are in turn supported upon a suitable horizontal base 6. I also carry on the shaft 1 a belt wheel 7. On the outer side of the gear wheel 3, I provide four vertical stationary shafts 8, the latter extending upward from the base 6 to the underside of the floor or platform 2. The four vertical fixed shafts S'are arranged to center on imaginary lines drawn at right angles to each other through the center of the shaft 1 and on each of said shafts is loosely mounted a gear wheel 9, which is referably one-half the diameter of the wheel 3, the teeth of'said gear wheel 9 meshingwith those of said gear wheel 3. The rimsof the gear wheels 9 may also be mounted so as to bear upon rollers 10 supported in brackets '11 as prescribed for the rollers 4.

On the outer side of an imaginary circle embracing the four gear wheels 9, I provide four external gear wheels 12 corresponding with the wheels 9, said wheels 12 being loosely mounted upon vertical shafts 13 corresponding with the shafts 8 and these shafts being located out of alinement with the shafts 8 and opposite the centers of the spaces between said shafts 8. The rims of the wheels 12- are'also preferably provided with bearing rollers 14 as prescribed for the wheels 9. Each of the wheels 9 and 12 is provided on the upper side of its rim with a plurality of equidistant transverse pusher or car engaging blocks, which are indicated respectively at 9 and 12. These blocks 9 and 12 'have their outwardly projecting portions raised, as shown, above the upper side of the wheel rims with which they are connected (see Fig. 6).

15 represents a comparatively large floating gear ring which is provided with opposing gear teeth on its inner and outer faces. This floating gear ring is preferably formed in sections or segments, the ends of which are united to form the complete ring, by bolting together the reduced terminal portions of two adjacent ring sections, after the manner indicated in Fig. 5 of the drawing, said reduced overlapping portions being indicated at 15 The gear ring thus described has its inner gear teeth engagingthe teeth of the gear wheels 9 and its outer gear teeth meshing with those of the gear wheels 12, while the gear ring body has underside bearings on rollers 16 which are journaled between brackets 17, said brackets being affixed to the base 6. Between the platform 2 and the base, I interpose at desirable points supporting posts or standards 18.

In the platform 2, I form a continuous slotted way 19, which as indicated in the drawings, comprises external loops 19 and intermediate internal loops 19 said loops being connected on curved lines, as shown. The external slot loops 19 are arranged respectively above the gear wheels 12 and the internal slot loops 19 are likewise arranged above the gear wheels 9. It will be understood that the floor sections which are embraced within the slot loops and which by the formation of saidloops, are thus separated from the main floor body are sup orted by the fixed shafts 8 and 13 and in ac dition to these supports, I provide said shafts with radial frame arms indicated at 20, from which inclined braces 21 lead to said shafts, thus providing a substantial support for the detached floor or platform sections.

My invention contemplates the employment of a number of passenger carrying cars, the bodies of which may be of any suitable construction. One of these cars is indicated in section at 22 in Fig. 4 and the relative positions of the cars are shown in outline in Fig. 1. Each of the cars, which is as shown, supported above the platform or floor 2, is adapted to follow in its traveling movement the platform slot 19 and while it is obvious that such cars may have their wheels supported on tracks on the upper sides of the platform 2, and adjacent to said slot, I have shown a preferable form of car support which is as follows:

From the underside of each of the car bodies, thereextends downwardly two rods or bars 23 which pass loosely through the platform slot 19 and have their lower ends connected with a horizontal truck frame 24 upon the axles of which are carried suitable ground or track wheels 25. The wheels 25 are adapted to be supported and travel upon the inturned flanges 26 of angle bars 26 which depend from the underside of the platform 2 on opposite sides of the slot 19, 19" and 19 the tracks thus formed being separated at or beneath the points of crossing of the main and loop slots. From the lower side of each of the cars depends an arm 27.

In operation, it will be readily understood that rotary motion may be imparted to the shaft 1 through a belt carried by the wheel 7, with the result that rotary motion is imparted to the large gear wheel 3 which through the smaller gear wheels 9, impart a rotary traveling movement to the gear ring 15 from which a rotary movement is imparted to the gear wheels 12, and on the floating gear wheel 15, Iprovide a plurality of transversely arranged pusher or car engaging blocks 28.

It will be understood that owing to the fact that certain of the blocks 2S, 12 and 9 will by engagement with the depending contact arms 27 of the cars, serve to carry said cars at a speed corresponding with that of the gear wheels 9, 12 and 15 and as each car thus propelled is brought to a crossing of the main slot 19 and its loop 19", the ('lepending bar 27 of the car will be engaged by one of the blocks 1.2 or 9 as the case may he, and the car thus carried over the slot loop until it is again at the intersection of the main and loop slots where it will be engaged by the next succeeding block 28 of the floating gear ring 15 and carried to the next slot loop where the operation of switching the car on to the loo 3 and again returning it to the main slot, wi be repeated. In this manner it will be understood that the cars will suecessively follow the main slot and its loops thereby imparting to the cars not only a traveling movement in the general direction of the large gear ring, but regularly imparting to the car, successive inward and. out ward loop movements. Owing to the fact that the car engaging blocks 9 and 12 of the wheels 9 and 12, are elevated above said wheels, said blocks will not contact in pass ing with the lower blocks 28 of the large gear wheel 15 and it will also be understood that owing to the lengths of these contact blocks, they will be retained in engagement with the car contact arms 27 when the cars in following the slot of the platform, vary from the circles of the wheels 9, 1.2 and 15, which slight variation is made necessary by the crossings of the slots and tracks.

From the construction and operation described, it will be seen that a unique and novel amusement device is provided by means of which passenger carrying cars may be rapidly moved over a circuitous route so arranged as to contribute a pleasing excitement to both passengers and observers.

What I claim, is:

1. In an amusement device, a framework, a track supported thereby, said track forming a succession of inner and outer loops and separated at its crossing points, cars adapted to travel on said track, and means for propolling said cars.

2. In an amusement device, the combination with a horizontally supported platform, a continuous slot therein comprising connected and successively arranged inner and outer loops, a track supported by said platform and following said slot, and cars adapted to run on said track, of a plurality of gear wheels rotatably mounted beneath said platform, and means on said gear wheels for engaging said cars and propelling the latter 'over the path followed by the platform slot.

3. In an amusement device, the combinatlon with a plurality of rotatably mounted gear wheels arranged in a circular path,

means for imparting rotary motion thereto, a plurality of rotatably mounted gear wheels arranged in a circular path outside of said first mentioned path and out of radial alinement with said first mentioned gear wheels, and an intermediate gear ring meshing with all of said gear wheels, of a track arranged above and substantially following the rims of said gear wheels, cars adapted to run on said track, and means connected with said gear wheels and gear ring for engaging said cars.

4. In an amusement device, the combination with a central main gear wheel, means for rotating the same, aset of gear wheels on the outer side of and meshing with said central gear wheel at equidistant points, and a second set of gear Wheels on the outer side of the circle bounding said first mentioned set of gear wheels and arranged out of radial alinement therewith, of a gear ring having inner teeth which engage the inner set of gear wheels and outer teeth which engage the outer set of gear wheels, a track following substantially the gear ring and the gear wheels of each set, cars adapted to run on said track, and means on said gear wheels and said gear ring for engaging said cars.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LOUIS O. MARBLE.

Witnesses:

O. O. SHEPHERD, L. CARL STOUGHTON. 

